Construction Network

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

January 28, 2012

I came across one of the most thought provoking lectures I’ve seen in years and decided to share it with you. Since you read this blog, you probably do some construction related work…or wish you did. I often write about the joy of building. When we build, we use tools to improve the physical world. In fact, our tools differentiate us from the rest of life on the planet.

Pulling an illustration from the lecture, how efficient do you think humans are in locomotion (moving ourselves a certain distance)? Turns out, we are middle of the animal pack. We use a bit less energy to move a km than a dog, a bit more than a horse and not even close to the winners…condors. But when we hop on a bicycle, we far surpass the condor in efficiency. Steve Jobs used this illustration to conclude that the computer becomes the bicycle for our minds. With the computer, we have the most important invention in human history and we’re just starting to get into the really cool uses.

So when I watched Wilson Miner from Apple speak for 38 minutes on When We Build, I knew it was something I needed to share with you. I know 38 minutes is a long time. I can tell you the lecture is beautiful, pulling in images, video and ideas that can’t be replicated by just words. I strongly encourage you to take the time to watch the video below and think deeply about how the computer will change how you work and live. One idea could change your life.